Phil Wolff: obituaries a la blog

RIP Bruce McMurray, 1932-2004. Silicon Valley pioneer.

Thu, 15 Apr 2004 05:36:19 GMT

Blogger James McMurray of Technology Deprecated wrote of his father:

Bruce Milton McMurry died April 13, 2004 in Los Altos. Born 1932 in Covina. Bruce was an Eagle Scout and graduated high school in Astoria New York. Bruce served 4 years in the Navy including a stint in the Philippines. Bruce married Elizabeth Josephine Stewart in Redwood City California in 1958. After college, Bruce worked in the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley, first at Fairchild in the mid 1960s staying with them until Fairchild was purchased by National Semiconductor, where he worked until a few days before his death. Bruce loved the industry he worked in, and passed that enthusiasm onto his kids. He was a dedicated and loving husband, father and grandfather, and enjoyed traveling with his wife. His love for his family was unending, and proud of their many accomplishments in life.

[aka obituaries a la blog]

RIP Julius Schwartz, Editor, DC Comics.

Sun, 15 Feb 2004 23:36:59 GMT

TechNoir: "I met this man years and years ago and I have seen him repeatedly over the years even had dinner with him. If you really knew your comic history and you were on the con circuit you knew Julie Schwartz."

ABC reported the death of Julius Schwartz, Editor, DC Comics. He "rescued the superhero genre from near extinction in the 1950s. Revived and modernized Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern." Hawkman, Atom, The Justice League of America, and Superman too.

Maggie Thompson: This is the man who, more than any other, can take credit for the fact that we can still buy comic books today. The field continues to evolve — and maybe he’s been better equipped to handle that evolution, simply because science fiction was old stuff to him by the time he entered our field six decades ago. But — no matter how much we do admire the writers and artists who have entertained us — it’s Editor Julius Schwartz who came up with a formula that turned out to be a winning equation for our field.

This was important.

His rework of character, plot, theme, and visual design showed that each stupid little work can be reincarnated. Adapted to the times. Repurposed for other media. Giving power to authors and artists, and birth to entire media industries.

Where do you think West Side Story came from? Hollywood and Broadway made Romeo and Juliet over and over for decades. Then Julie showed that something old can be made new again.

If you haven't followed graphic novels and comics for the last twenty years, you may not know that Batman has been interpreted and reinterpreted by more than a hundred different creative teams. Schwartz paved the road so we can enjoy the Caped Crusader set in times Edwardian and apocolyptic, as a boy and an old man, broken hearted or beyond vicious, political or anarchic, isolated or a family man. All being true to Bob Kane's central character while infusing their own imaginations and visions.

So what?

When the American masses stopped reading literary classics and listening to opera, the storytellers of Hollywood and Rockefeller Center turned for stories to the franchises of the dime novel, the genres of the comic book. Westerns. Science Fiction. True Romance.

Before Disney opened theme parks, DC Comics proved even little cartoons have enormous market potential. Properties long dead can breathe new cash flow.

So we have media conglomerates. And a war for the intellectual property commons. I can repurpose Beowulf and Icelandic sagas, and Shakespeare. But when does Time Warner's Batman franchise enter the public domain? When can I put on a Batman school play or write a short Silver Surfer story without their permission, without paying for the privelege?

I love that storytellers renew and reinvigorate modern myths. So when you see Spiderman 2 and the Punisher this summer, or Hellboy, Starsky & Hutch, The Stepford Wives, Man-Thing, Catwoman, Alien vs. Predator, Astroboy, or Scooby Doo, give a nod to Julius Schwartz. "akasig"

RIP Alexander Santiago, 21, of a gunshot.

Tue, 25 Nov 2003 21:29:27 GMT

Philippino blogger quirky said goodbye to Alexander Santiago, 21.

3:42 pm - paying respects

after dinner at sentro, din and i went to AR's wake at chirst the king. we both couldnt bring ourselves to look at him. we instead paid our last respects an effective 2 feet away from the coffin. it was enough to see the inside of the coffin, but not close enough to see him. we said our prayers and goodbyes while alternately looking at his smiling 8 x 10 graduation picture and the coffin. it was hard to beleive he was in the coffin.

most, if not all, the students - ateneo undergrad batchmates, ateneo law classmates, friends, etc.. were sitting around or standing, and talking outside, sitting on monobloc chairs underneath the street lamplights and the stars. inside, witht he coffin, and probably the gma 7 camera, were the politicians and old people. if i remember right, i saw senator sotto, senator loi estrada [plaster of paris make up] and speaker de venecia there. miriam santiago went around to thank all the students, friends etc... who had come to visit alex. it would have been nice, had ther not been that intrusive gma 7 cameraman and reporter following her around. [the reporter was even interviewing people at the wake. some of Ar's friends and blockmates didn't find it agreeable and would either leave when the camera and reporter came along, or they'd flat out turn decline to eb interviewed.]

judging from the number of people i recognized from school.. i think alex would have been happy. he had a lot of friends. there were a lot of people who had pretty nice memories of him.

it's ironic how such a sad event brings people who havent seen each otehr since graduation or since senior year finals week together. i went with dindin, who i hadn't seen since midterms week, and i ran into ateneo batchmates i hadn't seen since the weeks before graduation. i guess, in some weird way, we have to thank alex for the reconnections.

current mood: contemplative
current music: bringing on the heartache - mariah carey

[aka obituaries a la blog]

RIP Kimson Plaut, jazz pianist.

Tue, 25 Nov 2003 21:08:16 GMT

Randy Paul recalls his good friend on the second anniversary of the death. Both Randy and Kimson Plaut were musicians, shared a love of Latin Jazz, Brazil, families, and a warped and wicked sense of humor.

I don't put a lot of faith in psychic phenomena, but a couple of days after Kimson's death, I was at the Brazilian Consulate here in New York getting a new visa for an upcoming trip to Brazil. I ran into another American who was married to a Brazilian and we started chatting while we were both waiting. I asked him where his wife was from and he replied São Paulo State. I then asked where in São Paulo and he said Ubatuba. A rush of emotions swirled in my head. I suppose it was ultimately just a coincidence, but I'm not so sure. Not many people live in Ubatuba, indeed, out of all the Brazilians I have met, I had never met anyone from Ubatuba, nor have I since. My friend, Susan Davis-Pereira is convinced that Kimson was trying to send me a message. I just remember parting company with this gentleman and for the first time in two days I felt like some of the shock of Kimson's passing had been attenuated. Two years later I still find myself thinking when I hear a joke or an astute comment or come across a musician previously unknown to me, that I should give Kimson a call.

Writers ask about audience. Perhaps when you imagine them as fully and vividly as a lost friend or parent, perhaps then you have defined them, incorporated them into yourself, and projected yourself upon them. Their voices ring true. Their smiles and hissy fits and ... presence ... let you speak to them. And for them.

[aka obituaries a la blog]

RIP Matthew Sperry, bass musician and cyclist, in traffic accident

Sun, 15 Jun 2003 13:50:09 GMT

Christian Crumlish writes:

... A tragedy befell a young musician and his extended family and friends in the bay area music community when Matthew Sperry was struck by a pickup truck and killed while riding his bicycle at an intersection near the Emeryville-Oakland border on Stanford Avenue.

I didn't know Matthew, but I had several friends who knew and loved him, and played music with him, and loved his playing. A page at Scot Hacker's Birdhouse blog has become the de facto tribute page for Matthew. ...
There was a musical memorial at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, and there is a memorial concert in the works. Hacker has also now set up a dedicated memorial web page for Matthew at matthewsperry.org.

[aka Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Andrei Kivilev, Tour de France cyclist.

Wed, 19 Mar 2003 01:18:14 GMT

Jeff Veen: "Kivilev is down":

Last night, we were watching the third stage of the Paris-Nice bicycle race on the Tivo. About 10km from the end, they quickly cut to the rear of the peloton, where Cofidis rider Andrei Kivilev was lying motionless on the pavement next to his bike. The helicopter hovered above as the team doctor sprinted to him, followed by race officials. The commentators agreed that this would be bad for Cofidis if he was really injured, considering his value to the team. Andrei had taken fourth in the Tour de France, and had many stage wins behind him. In fact, they continued, a bad injury this early in the season could wreck his season.
Andrei died this morning after spending the night in a coma. His skull had been crushed -- he had not been wearing a helmet. The peloton neutralized the stage and followed the remaining Cofidis team slowly around the course today.
It's likely hard for most Americans to understand the implications of this. Try imagining Barry Bonds getting hit by a pitch and having it kill him. Or Kobe Bryant tripping while running down court and never getting up.
Cycling is a grueling, dangerous sport. And much of it's allure comes from the struggle and the suffering, the fall and redemption of its heros. But when the struggle leads to the death of a participant, we suddenly realize it's just a game. And it is just too much.

RIP Jay Call, Flying J founder.

Wed, 19 Mar 2003 01:07:51 GMT

David Fletcher:

Jay Call, the founder of Utah-based Flying J died Saturday in a jet crash enroute to Hailey, ID. I met Jay Call when I was putting together the state fuel network. He started Flying J with a single Brigham City station in 1968 and expanded to a national network of 160 travel plazas across the country. He was a great entrepreneur and I wish his family well.

A current listing of gas prices at Flying J outlets across the country.

RIP Robert King Morton, sociologist.

Wed, 19 Mar 2003 00:54:51 GMT

Blog.org:

Robert King Morton - the inventor of the focus group and key terms like "role model" died on Feb 23rd.

Tue, 18 Feb 2003 05:51:35 GMT

RIP Rajesh Babu's Grandmother, 85.

Thu, 13 Feb 2003 20:59:27 GMT

Rajesh Babu:

I was away from Bangalore for the last few days, since my Grandmother expired on Wednesday evening. I had to travel that night.

I visited her last on 22nd Jan. That was the last time I and my mom saw here alive. Since her condition was a bit stable that time we returned to our lives.

She was 85 when she died. She was an energetic women, always doing something - cooking, knitting, or sewing.

[aka Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP George Francis Goldbach, 1929-2003.

Tue, 11 Feb 2003 20:54:30 GMT

Bernie Goldbach:

Lancaster, Pennsylvania -- George Francis Goldbach (73) passed away shortly before noon after a 10-year battle with cancer. As his eldest son, I leave this single page entry in his memory. He was intensely proud for living without getting near the Internet. He wouldn't have a Web connection. He couldn't fathom what people saw in the Internet and he wouldn't have a part of it. I didn't have the heart to tell my dad that his objection to a county planning meeting caused his name, address and phone number to be permanently archived as part of a Web site. As this reference will be too. I miss him but will never forget his kind and gentle soul.

[AKA Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Peter Palmquist, photographic historian.

Sat, 18 Jan 2003 23:44:12 GMT

Miriam Misrach's essay describing Peter Palmquist's life and work. A memorial. A Eureka Times-Standard obituary.

Scot Hacker:

Palmquist had created the world's largest collection of photographs of early California, and had catalogued and described them meticulously.

Palmquist is one of those people most will never hear of but who made their lives count, and who enriches the lives of generations to come by his contributions.

via jon lebkowsky.

[aka obituaries a la blog]

RIP Alfred (Fred) Turner, 1946-2003.

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 08:46:05 GMT

Gary Turner reports his father's death on New Year's Day, and writes a tearful obituary.

I picture him right now sitting in a pub with his own father whose death he never quite got over, or out walking in the glens and around the lochs with our old family dogs as we loved to do when I was a kid. more...

Halley Suitt:

Just heard our friend and fellow-blogger, Gary Turner, has lost his dad. So sorry. And this within a week of he and his wife having a new baby?! Just to remind us nothing in this world is fair or predictable or sensible.

[a klog apart's Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Joe Foss, AFL commissioner.

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 08:31:23 GMT

Rafe Colburn:

Joe Foss died today at age 87. I probably didn't agree with Foss on much of anything when it comes to politics, but I always admired the sort of life he lived. Foss was an ace pilot, governor of South Dakota, commissioner of the American Football League, and head of the NRA.

[a klog apart's Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Joe Tomlinson, 1941-2002.

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 04:32:00 GMT

cadence90:

My father died on December 18. The funeral service was held at St. Luke's Church in Belmont, MA, on Saturday December 21.

Lisa writes well. She eulogizes and writes this compelling account of her experience before and after her father's death. Toward the end...

I had been waiting for more security to do this, but, now I think security is just a joke. There isn't any. And there aren't any excuses for not living fully. Now I want everything.

[a klog apart's Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Barbara Durham, Washington State Chief Justice.

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 03:47:38 GMT

Howard Bachman's How Appealing:

From the State of Washington comes the sad news that the State's first female Chief Justice, who had since retired from the Supreme Court of Washington State, has died at the age of sixty. You can access coverage here from The Seattle Times and here from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Both newspapers mention that President Clinton had considered appointing Barbara Durham to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

[a klog apart's Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Joe Strummer, guitarist, The Clash.

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 01:21:46 GMT

Bill Kearney:

Lead guitarist for The Clash, Joe Strummer, has died. Bummer. Apparently he's answered the question "should I stay or should I go now..."

Rocknerd:

The Clash's Joe Strummer (born John Graham Mellor) has died. He was 50. A heart attack is the suspected cause.

There's an obituary over at Rolling Stone, while the BBC gives Strummer the comprehensive multimedia treatment he deserves here .

Scott Crawford:

Some shitty news. As most of you have either heard overnight, or are hearing as you're waking up, Joe Strummer from The Clash died.

There are going to be a lot of sad kids and grownups in punk rock land today. For quite a few out there, The Clash were like THE punk band. On a personal level, and admittedly, this is probably going to sound like sacrilege to a good number of you, but I've never been a big Clash fan. I like some of their stuff, but they've never been a band that I LOVED (although I do have fond memories of hiding from a friend's relatives with Swans/Prong alum Ted Parsons (who was married to my friend's aunt at the time) on Christmas about a decade ago, and listening to "Clash On Broadway" with him...). I'd feel like a hypocrite writing this if I didn't state that, because so many people are a band's "biggest fan ever" once one of their members dies, and this is hardly about that. This is just a matter of paying respect to a guy who earned it. Their songs have been around me for a good chunk of my life, they did write quite a few good ones, and their impact on music certainly can't be denied. A lot of kids have started bands because they wanted to be like The Clash. Like 'em or not, you can't argue with something like that. Besides, I'm reasonably sure that Mick Jones was what bugged me about The Clash, not Joe Strummer. ;)

My condolences go out to Joe's family, friends and fans.

As an aside, it seems pretty weird that three of the punk guys who've made the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame (Joey and Dee Dee Ramone, and now Joe Strummer) have died either right before or right after they got in. This trend may force me to reconsider all of my bitching about Iggy Pop and Patti Smith not being in yet. Note to Jann Wenner: leave them out! We want them around a while longer!

[a klog apart's Obituaries a la Blog]

Heinz Von Foerster died on October 2, 2002

Mon, 16 Dec 2002 04:33:55 GMT

Seblogging News:

We have lost one of the most important thinkers in the field of cybernetics and radical constructivism. Heinz von Foerster's witty interviews and comments on learning and education have influenced my own thinking in countless ways. For a brief overview of his life and work, take a look at this Heinz von Foerster page

Heinz Von Foerster died on October 2, 2002

Q: We are back to talking about dialogue again?
Yes! Without interaction and feedback, there is no learning. I can share information, and technology and the Internet have enabled that, but understanding requires feedback. It is an essential element of cybernetics. Feedback lets you know whether what you have put out was heard as you intended. Remember, the hearer, not the speaker, determines the meaning of an utterance. You have to interact to be a good teacher. You can see in the eyes of a child whether they understand what you are saying. This feedback tells you whether you have made your point understood. It is up to the student, then, to do something with it, to learn with it. Learning emerges in the experience of interaction - it's like a dance.

Q: How does technology facilitate learning as you have described it?
Technology connects people to people and it connects people to information, and as a result, can facilitate learning. Interaction is the key. Technology is a medium. The best way to use technology in education is to let technology be used the way it is needed by the students and the teachers. Consider: A pencil is technology. Technology is a consequence of what one wants to do in a moment. Make it available, and it will be used. Do not think about the technology first - think about learning first...

[a klog apart's Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Philip Berrigan, Baltimore.

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 19:02:23 GMT

Geodog's MT Weblog:

P hilip Berrigan died at home yesterday. I never met him, but I read about him often over the years, from the 60's onwards, and I was always impressed with the lengths he was willing to go to for his beliefs, and the sacrifices he was willing to make. As someone who was raised Catholic, I've always loved his description of himself as a "a Catholic trying to become a Christian." He was an American hero.

The Washington Post has a sympathetic obituary, while the NYT has a fairly unsympathetic one. There are more details on his life at Voice4Change.

If you live near Baltimore, the wake and funeral will be held at St. Peter Claver Church in West Baltimore, (1546 North Fremont Avenue, Baltimore MD 21217); calling hours are 4-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 with a circle of sharing about Phil's life at 6 p.m.; funeral is Monday, December 9, 12 p.m.

Tip o' the hat to the alternate patriot for the link.

[a klog apart Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Mary Hansen, vocalist and guitar player with Stereolab.

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 18:50:17 GMT

MetaFilter thread on Mary Hansen (1966-2002) "Mary, vocalist and guitar player with Stereolab since 1992, died in a cycling accident in London on December 9, 2002."

[a klog apart Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Vernon Wesley Bell, educator.

Wed, 20 Nov 2002 20:59:12 GMT

Bryan Bell:

Vernon Wesley Bell died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on November 4, 2002. ... Vernon was born December 10, 1927, in Keyport, New Jersey, the fifth of William and Alice Bell's eight children. He graduated from South River High School in 1945. He joined the Army Air Corps and was stationed near Ogden, Utah. It was there that he met the love of his life, Berniece Anderson, at a Memorial Day picnic in 1947. They were married January 30, 1949. ...

His was a life unquestionably committed to his beloved wife, his large and loving family, his colleagues, his students and his faith--which he lived out every day of his life. His love of family included not only his children and family back in New Jersey, but also those many people he and Berniece welcomed into their home and hearts over the years. No one was a stranger to Vern. He was well loved by all who knew him for his irrepressible humor, his unflappable nature, his integrity and character, and his kindness. We will cherish all our wonderful memories of his--from his impish smile to his firm honesty, from his devotion to his wife and family to his ability to never take himself to seriously.

More...

RIP Peg Phillips, actress on TV's Northern Exposure, at 84.

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 19:05:34 GMT

randomWalks

Peg Phillips, who played Ruth-Anne on the Northern Exposure series, died Nov. 7 at the age of 84. NPR remembered a collision of their two worlds, when Ruth-Anne landed a commentary on All Things Considered and real-life host Robert Siegel introduced it. synergy before its time.

Laurence Simon:

Not a single ounce of bullshit in that woman.
CBS's PR flaks released some sort of statement. Who gives a fuck what they think?

Heart, Mind, and Strength weblog:

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DREAM, HOW YOU GONNA HAVE A DREAM COME TRUE? [Woodeene Koenig-Bricker]11/12/02
So you think you are too old to fulfill your dreams? Think again. Incidentally, I spent a day on the set of Northern Exposure and got to meet Ms. Phillips who was every bit as much of a character as Ruth-Anne. Into your hands, we commend her, O Lord.

Margaret "Peg" Phillips, a retired accountant who took acting classes at age 65 and won fame as the tart-tongued shopkeeper Ruth-Anne Miller in the television series "Northern Exposure," has died. She was 84....

Phillips appeared in at least eight movies, a number of television commercials and made guest appearances in such TV series as "Seventh Heaven," "Touched By An Angel" and "E.R."

She appeared with Shirley MacLaine in "Waiting for the Light" (1990) and in the made-for-TV movies "How the West Was Fun" (1994) and "Chase" (1985).
Born in Everett, Phillips overcame polio, peritonitis, a ruptured aorta and, at age 81, a broken hip and wrist from being hit by a car.

[aka obituaries a la blog]

RIP Jonathan Harris, 'Lost in Space' villain.

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 16:17:47 GMT

Anonymous at Blogcritics:

The pain! The pain!

CNN.com - 'Lost in Space' villain Jonathan Harris dies at 87 - Nov. 4, 2002.

Bummer. Lost in Space (the TV show, not the silly movie) was one of my favorite shows when I was growing up. I remember, once, when there was smoke pouring under the door to our apartment because the basement furnace caught fire, I got mad at my mother for making me leave the burning building. "But, mom! It's Lost in Space!"

Danger, Will Robinson!

Goodbye, Dr. Zachary Smith. imdb

[a klog apart Obituaries a la Blog]

RIP Jason Mizell, DJ for Run-DMC.

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 08:37:06 GMT

anil dash:

I wasn't going to write about it, but I can't seem to stop thinking about it, so maybe writing it out will get it out of my head... I'm surprised just how affected I am by Jam Master Jay's passing. You probably already know, if you didn't before, that he was the DJ For Run-DMC. Jason Mizell was also a husband and father of three children.

The thing I can't get past is that, from his hands, to my ears, there was a sound that changed how I saw music. more...

[aka obituaries a la blog]

RIP Jish's grandmother.

Sun, 27 Oct 2002 00:42:21 GMT

Jish:

Sad, sad day. I am grandparent-less. My grandmother on my mother's side passed away earlier today in India. I didn't know her (or my other grandparents) very well, but still a very deep-rooted, stomach-churning sadness creeps within me. Most of all, I feel unbelievably sad for my immediate family who knew, loved, and respected her.

I was always told that she would ask about me, without fail, each and every time my family spoke with her or visited her. She was always concerned about her entire immediate and extended clan and loved me very much, despite our geographical separation and lack of contact throughout my life. Though we met less than a handful of times in our lifetimes, still I could feel her love for me each of those times. Most of all, I respected her as my mom's mother and the leader of that side of our family. She was a strong, independent, opinionated woman who lived through unbelievably horrific conditions and triumphed.

more.